Fathers
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Kendall and Tyler bond over their missing fathers.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Kendall usually worked down in her lab because she often spent more time on her Ranger duties than working for the museum. It wasn't that she didn't like her research for the museum. She loved it. She wished there was more time in the day so she could balance both. However, defending the planet came first. Any fossils she was bound to discover, or any breakthroughs she was bound to make would have to wait until less pressing times.

But today, she spent most of her time in her office at the museum. The Rangers were taking some of pressure off her duties by playing a more active role in the search for the missing energems, which left Kendall with more time to focus on her passion. The day flew by, and when she realized the time, she hurried down to the lab, just to make sure the Rangers hadn't destroyed it in their attempt to help out.

Fortunately, everything was as she left it. A few tools were out of place, but considering how messy and reckless the Rangers could get when they started bickering, which occurred often enough for Kendall to start keeping Aspirin in her desk, it seemed everything had been well looked after.

The Rangers were also gone – all but Tyler. Kendall assumed they had gone to see a movie or something. She wasn't sure where they went or what they did when they left the museum. Usually, Tyler joined them. In fact, he was often the one who suggested they hang out as a team. So for him to have stayed behind meant something was up.

Kendall looked around, just to be sure they were alone, and sighed silently. Despite the fact that she didn't have her own life put together as well as she should, by virtue of being the Ranger mentor, she had to help them with their problems, whether professional or personal.

She walked up to her desk, pretended to casually notice Tyler sitting at the table staring at his journal and gave him a little smile. "You aren't out with the others?"

"Wasn't feeling up to it," Tyler said and turned to her, ready for a conversation. This was what Kendall hated about opening up. People were going to confide in her if she let them get to close. They were going to burden her with their problems and expect her to help them out. Kendall couldn't get her own life together. She doubted she could be of any help to anyone else. "I can't stop wondering about my father."

Kendall nodded her head. She knew of Tyler's father. She had heard of him before his disappearance, but not enough to know what could have happened to him. Like many, she just assumed he had passed away. Tyler seemed to believe he was still alive. Kendall understood why he would want to think that way, and with recent evidence pointing to his father having an involvement with Fury, it was clear there was more to the story than what had been released to the public.

Whether he was still alive or not was yet to be determined. But she wasn't going to discourage him from finding out. She knew better than anyone how much not knowing something could hurt, especially when it had to do with a parent's disappearance.

"I'm sure something will come up," Kendall said. Tyler nodded.

"I know. I'm closer than ever now that I know for sure Fury knew him," Tyler said. "I'll get an answer from him. I'll find my father. It's just... I miss him."

Kendall looked to Tyler for a moment, then back to her laptop. Tyler closed his journal and walked over to her.

"He wasn't always around growing up," he told her. "He went away sometimes for weeks at a time. But he was always there for me when I needed him, and when he was home, he made sure to spend as much time with me as possible. If Fury did anything to hurt my father – to take someone so important away from me and my mother – I'm going to make him pay. You have my word."

"As long as you remember finding the energems and protecting the planet must come first."

"Come on, Ms. Morgan, I thought you of all people would get it," Tyler said. "If you could get answers on your father, wouldn't you do anything?"

"Jeopardize the planet, no," Kendall shook her head and looked up at Tyler. "I understand your passion. I really do. And I hope you do find the answers you deserve, and that your father is out there waiting for you. But Tyler..."

"I get it," Tyler sighed and walked back to the table. He sunk down and looked to his journal. "I can't let my own mission take priority over saving the planet. But you know where I'm coming from, right? I mean... am I crazy?"

"Often a little overexcited. Perhaps a little reckless," Kendall shrugged. "But you're far from being crazy."

"You really believe that?"

"I have to," Kendall nodded. "Why would something as powerful as an energem choose to bond with someone so emotionally unstable?"

"So, I'm not crazy because I'm a Ranger?"

"Unless you think the energem would bond with someone crazy."

Tyler frowned. He didn't believe it. He couldn't really afford to. If the energems could choose to bond with someone crazy, that meant it was possible one of his teammates could be mad. He didn't like to think of having his life in the hands of someone unstable.

But that wasn't what he meant. He turned to Kendall again to clarify.

"I meant... looking for my father. The one that took off suddenly. Am I crazy to think it wasn't by choice. That he didn't just decide to one day leave my mother and I to follow his own dreams. Like... well, not to be rude, but... like your father did."

Kendall glanced up from her work, eyes wide. Had Tyler really just asked her that? Did he really think the father he spoke so fondly of would choose to walk away from his family?

"Maybe I was wrong," she said. "Maybe the energems do bond with crazy."

"What?"

Kendall stopped working for just a moment to talk to Tyler, "Give me one good reason your father, a very great father, by the sound of it, would just to just walk away from you?"

"I... I don't know," Tyler shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I've got no reason. But do you?"

"For yours, or for mine?"

"Both?"

Kendall sighed, "Tyler, my parents fought often while I was growing up. Dad never made enough money was a selfish, greedy pig, and my mother was a fat, lazy bitch. At least, according to the other. And both were so consumed by their hatred for the other, I flew under the radar. I've needed glasses since I was four. Do you know when I finally got my first pair?"

"Four?"

"Seven," Kendall said. "I spent three years bumping into walls, tripping over toys, and having to hold books and homework mere inches from my face if I wanted to make out the words. Because of that, I nearly failed the first grade."

"You? Failing school?"

"It wasn't until dad left that mom noticed something wasn't right and brought me to the doctor," Kendall said. And when dad did leave, he made it painfully clear he wasn't coming back. The home I grew up in before my father left was toxic."

"Ms. Morgan, I..."

"My father never bonded with me," Kendall said. "He never tried to get to know me, or teach me things. He yelled at me for getting answers wrong on my homework until I fix them or until I cried. When I cried, he would send me to my room and call me an idiot or a failure."

"I didn't know..."

"Because you had a good father," Kendall looked to Tyler with a little smile. "Your father didn't abandon you, Tyler. Based on how much you look up to him, and how hard you're looking to find him, I can't let myself believe for a second that he would intentionally leave you behind."

"Why not?" Tyler frowned.

"Because then what hope would I have?" Kendall asked. She lowered herself into her desk chair and sighed. Tyler gave her a curious look before he walked over.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I'm the crazy one," she whispered. "Maybe that's why, after all this searching; none of the energems even seemed interested in me."

"You want to be a Ranger?" Tyler asked. "I mean, I guess that's not a crazy idea. Who wouldn't want to wear the spandex? But Ms. Morgan..."

"Maybe I'm crazy for believing my father would come back," Kendall said. "That he's a good man, deep down, and that he'll realized what he missed out on and want to make it up to me."

"Your father's not a good man," Tyler shook his head. "I mean, I'm sorry, Ms. Morgan, but based on all the stuff you've told us about him, I can't think for a second he's anything but bad."

"Exactly," Kendall whispered. She looked up at Tyler, "So if a good man like your father could do something as hurtful as leave, what hope do I have of ever having a family again?"

"You have us," Tyler reminded her. Kendall sighed.

"I know. And I'm trying to get used to that. In these last few minutes, I've opened up to you more than I've opened up to anyone. Well, Koda excepted. This is me trying to believe I can trust people won't hurt me."

"And we won't. I won't. I promise."

"And I hope you're right," Kendall said. "But if a man who is as good as you claim your father to be can leave without ever looking back, anyone can do it. Anyone can hurt anyone else. Anyone can hurt me. And I'm tired of believing that. I want to believe the opposite."

"So, you want me to find my dad?"

"I do," Kendall nodded, and then looked to Tyler sadly, "Though, I can't promise you he's still alive."

"Yeah, that's what everyone says," Tyler muttered. Kendall sighed.

"But... I want you to find out what happened to him. I want you to get answers, so that at least you know your father loved you. That leaving wasn't his choice. You'll sleep better at night, trust me."

"I'm going to find him," Tyler told her. "I'll figure out what Fury did to him, and I'll get him back."

Tyler gave Kendall a little smile, "As for this little talk. I can keep it between us, if you want."

"Please," Kendall nodded. "I don't need the pitiful looks from the others."

Tyler smiled and went back to his journal as he started writing it in again. Then, for a moment, he stopped and glanced to Kendall.

"Ms. Morgan, for what it's worth, I think, when he left, it was your father that suffered the real loss."

Kendall shrugged off the comment, like she didn't believe it. Tyler pretended to get back to writing in his journal. But, when he stopped for a second to sneak a glance at Kendall, he couldn't help but notice a faint smile on her lips.


End file.
